Last Flowers
by Science and Fiction
Summary: No one ever said falling in love was easy, but they never told her that it was this hard. A love story in the works. 50 themes.


Disclaimer: I don't own anything you see here. Title is from a song (below) by Radiohead.

Fandom: Naruto

Pairing: Sasuke and Sakura

Theme Set: Beta

Rating: T

Special thanks to MHR and standinginthe-wings for their support and guidance. This fic would be a mess without them. [Edited: 14/07/14]

_I can't face the evening straight_

_You can offer me escape_

_Houses move and houses speak_

_If you take me there you'll get relief_

"Last Flowers" by Radiohead

* * *

><p><span>Ring <span>_(never-ending circle)_

Ever since she was a young girl, she knew what she wanted on her finger, a simple silver band set with small stones, personally selected, bought and paid for by one _Sasuke-kun._

Hero _(what doesn't kill you will only make you stronger)_

If she had wanted a hero, she would have chosen Naruto, savior of the village, nine-tailed fox and future Hokage; but she didn't.

Memory _(the further you wade, the lower you sink)_

He doesn't want to close his eyes at night; he would rather forgo sleep than to face the image of a heart-shaped face, crumbling in disappointment, and (beautiful) green eyes, welling up in tears, engraved on the back of his eyelids.

Box (_big things come in small packages)_

"Do you still love me?" Her response is quiet, so quiet that he almost misses it; "Yes."

Run _(you'd better hurry, said the predator to its prey)_

She blatantly ignores her team captain's orders and engages the target, pleading with him to come home; but he points Kusanagi at her and says only one word: "go".

Hurricane _(cause and effect)_

A flap of a butterfly's wings can cause a hurricane on the other side of the world, yet years of affection, love and _Sasuke-kun! _will never melt Uchiha Sasuke's heart.

Wings _(haven't you ever wished you could fly?)_

"Trust me", he says and despite her misgivings, she takes his hand anyway.

Cold _(how can I free your doubtful mind and melt your cold cold heart)_

"I don't want anything you can offer me."

Red _("What do you see?")_

On her worst days, suffocated by intense longing and deep guilt, Sakura circumvents her frustration and pain by methodically slicing tomatoes - first into halves, next into quarters, then as thinly as she can cut them without injuring herself, and peeling apples one after another, because if Sasuke came back today, she wants to be prepared to receive him.

Drink _(in vino veritas)_

She stumbles out of a bar in Rain and onto him, mumbling incoherently to herself but he catches the words "perfect" and the ever familiar "Sasuke kun", and he feels a sudden clench of his heart when she looks up at him and their gazes meet.

Midnight _(and the clock struck 12)_

She draws herself up (he can see her breaking inside) and tentatively closes the gap between them, pressing her cold (warm) lips to his.

Temptation _(it gets even the best of us)_

The heady scent of lavender and rain is overwhelming, and he soon finds himself responding, running intrepid fingers through strands of pink hair and ravaging her mouth with a desperation and ferocity he doesn't know he has.

View _(from a rooftop)_

Ino finds her perched on the top of a buildig, digging her nails painfully into the tiling, completely distraught after returning from a mission in Rain and there are no words, no judgment when she later hears the story, as Ino embraces her friend and lets her cry her heart out.

Music _(5,6,7,8)_

She moves through relationships like an intricate dance, weaving in and out of her partners' arms at will, as free as a bird, unwilling to stray too close and risk another broken heart, if she has enough heart left to break.

Silk _(a careless indulgence)_

Contrary to popular belief, when she has free time, she does not spend it on frivolous romance novels with half-naked men on the cover; she peruses crime fiction paperbacks, relishing the intricate plot twists and clever deductions.

Cover _(the things we hide)_

When Sasuke initially asks her to henge into the girl in the picture, Karin thinks it is for a mission, but then she notices a slight twitch of his facial features and a subtle longing in his eyes, and she's not so sure anymore.

Promise _(cross my heart and hope to die)_

"I promise I'll get him back, Sakura" and she smiles, wishing with all her heart that she could believe him.

Dream _(the impossible, the unattainable)_

At night, Sakura dreams— of princes who look a little like Sasuke, of princesses who are dearly loved and of promises to stay together forever and ever, but she always wakes up faster than she likes.

Candles _(make a wish, then blow it out)_

There were 12 candles on her birthday cake when he left and 18 when he came back, battered, bruised and not quite her Sasuke-kun.

Talent _(an ability, a gift, possibly hidden or unknown)_

The first time he sees her heal a patient, he marvels at how the gaping wound closes in a matter of seconds and the flesh knits itself back together, and how a crying girl has morphed into a fully capable kunoichi.

Silence _(lack of communication)_

Sasuke doesn't speak per se, but he communicates his emotions through small gestures— an incline of his head, a movement of his shoulders, a glare of his eyes, and occasionally, when he is truly happy, a minute upturn of his lips.

Journey _(go the distance)_

Konoha is a significant distance away from Oto, and it might take days, weeks even before he will see the familiar surroundings again, yet fuelled by the thoughts of _going home,_ he finishes the journey in 3 days.

Fire _(beauty that lies in the few seconds before being extinguished)_

Looking at the heavily injured man who sat before her in the interrogation room, Ino cannot for the life of her remember why she used to be so infatuated with him, but she can't say the same for her friend waiting outside the room.

Strength _(superhuman)_

There is a split second where she thinks his fate is sealed and _oh no, we just got him back but now we're going to have to say goodbye again _but Tsunade shishou gives the three anxious shinobi at her desk a weary smile but she doesn't hear the explanation of his punishment as her knees give out, and she's on the ground, almost sobbing in relief.

Mask_ (masquerade, hide your face so the world will never find you)_

The problem with them was that after a while, they became a part of you, when they never should have been used at all.

Ice _(sharp, biting cold)_

When they break for camp that night, his pride prevents him from asking Sakura for an extra blanket in his chakra-depleted state, yet her love for him makes her give up hers to share one with Naruto.

Fall _(tear off my wings and watch as I sin)_

Earning forgiveness, he realizes, is extremely difficult, when he is still met by accusing stares and ugly rumours of him eating babies 6 months after his return; but he has the dobe and Sakura and daily visits to Ichiraku Ramen, so everything is tolerable, even if it's not okay.

Forgotten _(close your eyes and think of me)_

Somehow, as pathetic as it seems, Sakura cannot remember a time when she didn't love Sasuke or that she didn't eat tomatoes.

Dance _(tread lightly)_

Kakashi sees his lovely student all dressed up, waiting for a date that won't show, and takes pity on her, striding across the room and whisking her away to the centre of the ball room, just in time for the next dance.

Body _(are we too close for comfort?)_

She rests her head against her sensei's collarbone, smiles appreciatingly at his strangely sweet gesture and whispers "thank you" into his chest.

Sacred _(what we cling to)_

She heals because she can, she listens because she should, she laughs and smiles because she must and she loves Sasuke because _who else will?_

Farewells _(goodbye old, hello new)_

The day he says the words that will change their relationship forever, she absentmindedly nods, then spends the rest of the day immersed in work and trying to ignore the gaudy rock on her finger.

World _(and the people that constitute it)_

It is hell when everyone finds out: Naruto yells, Sai smiles fakely, Tsunade-shishou sighs and asks her if she is sure, Ino freaks out and starts planning the wedding, yet only Kakashi sensei understands; placing one hand on her shoulder and giving her a sad smile.

Formal _(smile for the cameras)_

The atmosphere is too tense, her dress is too tight, her feet are killing her, she is standing next to an impassive Sasuke and it is nothing and everything she has ever wanted all at the same time.

Fever _(heated looks and loaded smiles)_

The last piece of fabric falls to the floor and she lifts her eyes to meet the smoldering gaze of her husband.

Laugh _(a sound of happiness)_

A horrible sound bubbles up and escapes her throat, "I know you don't love me but you don't have to lie."

Lies _(I'm sorry)_

"Hn."

Forever (_but I thought it was too good to be true)_

Life in the Uchiha mansion is stifling at best and downright depressing at worst, and she finally understands why fairy tales end when they do.

Overwhelmed _(omgomgnowaynoway)_

"Sasuke, are these tomatoes for me?"

Whisper _(soft murmurings)_

_I love you, please don't leave me, I need you, don't go_ is what he wants to say but there's something in his throat, making it difficult to swallow and his useless mouth won't form the words that will keep her safe and away from a 'simple' assassination mission.

Wait _(and time slowly ticks by)_

Sasuke has never been very patient but the two weeks, in which he comes home to an empty house and doesn't wake up to a pink hair on the other side of the bed, might as well be two years.

Talk _(répondez s'il vous plaît)_

"Teme, she's freaking lying unconscious in a hospital bed and we don't even know if she will be okay so just freaking say something, anything!"

Search _(turning over stones and rocks)_

Nowadays, he experiences phantom pains in his chest and odd flutterings in his stomach, and he thinks the cause might just be the woman lying prone in a hospital bed.

Hope _(comfort)_

He remains by her bed 24/7, leaving everyday only for a quick shower and a change of clothes, and the nurses watch as the man sits quietly, occasionally stroking the medic's hair and keeping vigilant for a twitch, a wiggle, any sign of life.

Eclipse _(obscuring of the light of the Sun by the moon)_

One day, Sasuke wakes up and cannot remember the exact shade of green Sakura's eyes are and this sends him into a frenzy, and the ache in his head and heart seem to eat him alive.

Gravity _(keep your feet on the ground)_

She is the Sun and he is the Earth, constantly, revolving around her; and when she is gone, he is lost, because there is nothing to keep him grounded anymore.

Highway _(to hell)_

Naruto and Kakashi sensei try to talk sense into him, saying "she wouldn't want you like this" and "you have to move on" but he tunes them out and focuses on the steady rhythm of his wife's heartbeat instead.

Unknown _(xenophobia: a fear of the unknown)_

He does a lot of soul-searching now, while waiting for the woman he fears will never return, and berates himself for never having the courage, never taking the chance, and never pulling that stick out of his ass to tell her he loved her.

Lock _(one and only key)_

On the 5th day of the third month spent waiting, Sasuke breaks down and yells at Sakura, blaming her for going on the stupid mission, for taking the hit for her teammate, leaving him worried and for being so annoying (he hasn't used that word in years) that he can't help but love her; and that is that.

Breathe _(my oxygen, my life)_

On the 10th day of the third month she's been comatose, she wakes up to a haggard Sasuke who blinks and tells her she's late, she said she would be back in two weeks and she's _fucking late, _then proceeds to throw a list of insults at her, but Sakura knows he doesn't mean it, because she sees something in his eyes, both foreign and familiar —love.

* * *

><p>My first venture into the world of Naruto. Hope you liked it!<p> 


End file.
